The Guardian: Russian weapons to North Korea could destabilize Korean peninsula, says US official

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that Russia could supply weapons to North Korea is “incredibly concerning,” said Matthew Miller, a US State Department spokesperson, according to The Guardian.

Recently, Putin and the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, signed a defense agreement that requires their countries to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked, in Pyongyang. The day after his visit to North Korea, Putin also came to Vietnam, seeking “a comprehensive strategic partnership” with the country.

The provision of Russian weapons to Pyongyang “would destabilize the Korean peninsula, of course, and potentially … depending on the type of weapons they provide … violate UN security council resolutions that Russia itself has supported,” stated Miller.

In response to the agreement, US President Joe Blinken said that his country would consider “various measures.” Meanwhile, South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest against the deal amid rising border tensions with North Korea.

Seoul has also said it would consider providing arms to Ukraine in a statement that sparked outrage from Russian ambassador Georgy Zinoviev, who claimed that attempts to threaten Russia were unacceptable.

In Vietnam, Putin said reciprocal supplies of Russian weapons to the North would be, in his opinion, an appropriate response to the West’s supply of weapons to Ukrainian forces.

US officials believe North Korea wants to receive aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, materials, and equipment to build for ballistic missile production and other advanced technologies from Russia. Their cooperation could potentially lead to a conflict between Seoul and Pyongyang, which could decrease Ukraine’s support, as it happened after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023.

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